Friday, September 25, 2009

Kefir, which can be made with any kind of milk (including soy milk and coconut milk) has very potent anti-neoplastic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It also significantly increases cancer-fighting natural killer (NK) cells.

The effects of oral administration of milk and soy milk kefirs on tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice and the mucosal immunoglobulin A response in mice were studied. Oral administration of milk and soy milk kefirs to mice inoculated with sarcoma 180 tumor cells resulted in 64.8% and 70.9% inhibition of tumor growth, respectively, compared with controls.

The daily intraperitoneal administration of 0.50 mL kefir for 20 days to mice; containing transplanted fusiform cell sarcomas resulted in a significant decrease in tumour size. Kefir-induced disappearance of tumoural necrosis was also evident. With respect to the antibacterial activity of kefir, the greatest activity was exhibited against gram-positive coccus, staphylococcus, and gram-positive bacillus. Kefir grains showed higher antibacterial activity than kefir. Kefir also demonstrated antifungal activity against Candida, Saccharomyces, Rhodotorula, Torulopsis, Microsporum and Trichopyton species. The results demonstrate that kefir possesses antibacterial, antifungal and antineoplastic activities, and provides credence to the folklorec use of kefir for a variety of infectious and neoplastic diseases.

In the experiments with middle-aged volunteers, NK activity significantly increased 3 wk after the start of intake, elevated NK cell activity remained for the next 3 wk, and this effect was particularly prominent in the low-NK-activity individuals.

The probiotic strains of E. faecium RM11 and L. fermentum RM28 also triggered antiproliferation of colon cancer cells at the rates of 21-29%, and 22-29%, respectively. This suggested that both strains could be used as potential probiotics in functional food or for colon cancer biological products.

Anti-tumorigenic effects have been demonstrated in animal studies from the intake of kefir, a traditional fermented milk product believed to originate from the Caucasian mountains of Russia. In the present study, the antiproliferative effects of extracts of kefir, yogurt, and pasteurized cow's milk on human mammary cancer cells (MCF-7) and normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) was investigated at doses of 0.31%, 0.63%, 1.25%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% (vol/vol). After 6 days of culture, extracts of kefir-fermented milk depressed MCF-7 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, showing 29% inhibition of proliferation at a concentration as low as 0.63%, whereas yogurt extracts began to show dose-dependent antiproliferative effects only at the 2.5% dose. Moreover, at the 2.5% dose, kefir extracts decreased the MCF-7 cell numbers by 56%, while yogurt extracts decreased MCF-7 cell proliferation by only 14%. No antiproliferative effects of kefir extracts were observed in the HMECs, while the yogurt extracts exerted antiproliferative effects on HMECs at the 5% and 10% doses. Unfermented (pasteurized) milk extracts stimulated proliferation of MCF-7 cells and HMECs at concentrations above 0.31%. Peptide content and capillary electrophoresis analyses showed that kefir-mediated milk fermentation led to an increase in peptide concentrations and a change in peptide profiles relative to milk or yogurt. The present findings suggest that kefir extracts contain constituents that specifically inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells, which might eventually be useful in the prevention or treatment of breast cancer.

If I had breast cancer I would use raw unpasteurized grass fed cow's milk (which is loaded with conjugated linoleic acid) in making kefir, but based on the abstract above, I would limit (Dr. Campbell pointed out in "The China Study" that low intake of animal protein is safe **) or completely eliminate my intake of unfermentedand/or pasteurized milk products (I personally will not eat or drink any pasteurized milk or diary products containing pasteurized milk):

Pasture-grazedcows had 500% more CLA in their milk than those fed silage.CLA may be one of the most potent cancer-fighting substances in our diet.In animal studies, as little as one half of one percent CLA in the diet has reduced tumor burden by more than 50 percent.

Kefir means "feel good" in Turkish and has been used for centuries to create energy and health. A wonderful alkalizing meal, milk kefir should be added only when your intestines lining is not inflamed so that the casein protein will not "leak" through the wounded gut lining.

Health care experts recommend healing a leaky gut by consuming coconut kefir for three weeks prior to using milk kefir.

Great article! I've been making kefir for almost 5 years now. I make a quart a week from wonderful raw purebred Jersey milk. I ripen it for two days until it is well separated and drink it plain. I do like to gently blend it for a smooth texture.

I absolutely LOOOOVE LOVE LOVE this article. I love kefir/fermented foods and I am doing research on my cancer chapter that I'm writing for my health program, and will definitely be siting your article. I love the studies you linked with it. Thank you!! :)